good evening. i'm dan ashley. police are trying to unravel an incredible murder mystery. it started in richmond. the suspect killed after leading

police on a high speed chase with his dead girlfriend in the passenger's seat. he was wouldn't for a death of a man in hercules and the disappearance of that man's son and two murders in vallejo yesterday afternoon. we have team coverage with amy hollyfield live in hercules. >> we now know what may have started all this violence. a fight over a woman inside this house in hercules. 46-year-old cindy tran is mother to three sons and one of her songs tells abc news that her mother recently broke up with the accused killer. they believe he beat 73-year-old man to death because he thought the man or his son was romantically involved with the girlfriend. the son is missing. police are worried that he may be dead. now, the girlfriend, cindy was

found dead inside a car that he had been driving. her colleagues in vltz said that he didn't deserve her. >> they had a really rocky relationship. he loved cindy so much. he always knew there was something about him but she loved him. she respected him so we respected him. i just want everyone to remember how she lived, not how she died. >> he led police on a chase last night that ended at the 99 market in richmond. he ran in and got a meat cleaver. a police officer shot him to death. the son says she was a loving mother. she broke up with him couple weeks ago and the sons were hope

title he would be reuniting with their father but that day never came. amy hollyfield, "abc 7 news." >> police searched for bodies in this hercules parking lot. it is here they found a white cadillac escalade that is linked to the killings. the bodies two of women they found in the house as one detective described as something out of a movie silence of the lambs iovy. >> there are still removing evidence from the home. the details of what they found are being withheld but the common thread here is 38-year-old man neighbors say he lived here hospitalize and on for ten years. they are not sure what the relationship in between them. they say he fought with them and stole money from them and disturbed the neighborhood. they believe the decome potion

go bodies found in the home are the two murdered people. oddly her husband charles ritten house continued living here after he reported the wife and her friend missing on sunday. he is now in jail but not for murders but for possessing a cashe of highly explosive materials. bomb making chemicals were found in the home. additional explosives were found in a storage unit on lemon street. they described his reaction when the bodies were discovered. >> all i can say when he was confronted with the fact that the bodies were located in his residence and we believe he may have been involved, he did not react in the way you sea a normal person would react. >> this afternoon, the cadillac he was last seen driving was

discovered in this hercules parking lot. it's registered under rittenhouse's name and same vehicle spotted at murder scene. so the suspect is dead along with five presumed victims. discovery of explosives today confirms the unfolding murder mystery and 72-year-old man in custody may be the only person left who can sort this whole murder mystery out. >> it's all incredible. thanks very much. >> we'll move on to other news. retax a story we've been reporting about a marin county man bees tased in his own home is snowballing. it's made national news. people around the country have seen the video that you saw first. we showed tape to experts on the use of tasers.

vic lee on what they are saying about it. >> trying to get his hand behind his back. >> don is a former police officer who trains law enforcement on the use of weapons and proper use of force when making arrests. cameron reviewed the video of 64-year-old peter mcfarland being tased by a deputy in june of last year in his own home. mcfarland had been treated by paramedics for injuries when he fell down his steps. suddenly two sheriff's deputies arrive. this is from a camera mounted on deputy's taser. he says he is going to take him to the hospital because she is suicidal. >> we're going to take you to the hospital. >> mcfarland says it was just a

crack he made because of pain of his injuries. he says to get up but mcfarland refuses while his wife says he has a heart condition. he tased not once but three times before he is handcuffed. >> put your hands behind your back [ bleep ]. >> stop resisting, stop resisting! stop resisting [ bleep ] stop resisting. stop resisting. stop resisting! stop resisting. >> cameron says that mcfarland was only a passive resistor, he was refusing orders but not

aggressively. he says the deputy should have talked to him and used hand holds to restrain him before bringing out his taser. >> the officers should have tried hand techniques and if these were unsuccessful, then use the taser, but why together taser right away. >> i didn't see any active resistance. >> barbara agrees, she is post-president of the national association of civilian oversight of law enforcement. she did not see any reason to use the taser. >> unless tasers are used carefully and within guidelines and strict policies andg departments, it's going to cost them a lot of money or that ability is going to be taken away from them. >> mcfarland sued the county on monday. they sent a written response that it takes charges of excessive force seriously but

they are confident the deputies will be vindicated when all of the facts are in. we asked them if there is an investigation going on. to that question, so far, no reply. if you want to see the entire video it's on our website at www.abc7.com. a teacher was arrested at school today on child pornography charges. acting on tip contra costa sheriff's investigators picked up alex bursh in pittsburg this morning after raiding his house they confiscated computers and storage devices containing thousands of images. he is also a coach for the swim team. his bail has been set at $60,000. >> a community meeting has wrapped up in san francisco's mission neighborhood this evening. its debate over dolores park, a park that some say is too popular. years ago it was a haven for

drug dealing and crime but now they believe it's a victim of its own success. >> for many san franciscans who live in apartments and condos, neighborhood park is their backyard. dolores park is crowded even in the middle of the week but for some who live nearby it's too popular. there were 25 city sanctioned events last year. >> i would like to see things happening in other parks. >> dolores park is the place for cinco de mayo, dikes on bikes and symphony summer concert and spur of the moment things like box wars. he is with a group that wants fewer events. >> there is underage drinkers, people smoking pot all day.

there are kids that are doing heroin now and i feel like everybody goes by my house with open containers. >> they recently posted signs remind go park goers that drinking and smoking aren't allowed but some in the neighborhood don't want a crackdown. he thinks critics need to chill. >> one or two picnics, that is what they expect it to be, all of a sudden it becomes woodstock and they get nervous. it's what is happening. it's not the end of the world. >> more officers have been assigned to patrol dedolores park following a recent stabbing. >> there has been increased presence in the park. >> regular park users we talked

with say they warrant a safe environment but not a war on crime. >> i would hate to see it become the second coming of the prohibition movement. h >> we are just getting started this first day of september. hunkering down from cape cod to cape hatteras, hundreds of people are finding themselves under a hurricane watch and preparing for earl. >> earl has strengthened and i'll have the latest on the hurricane plus a look at the heat that is going to hold on for one more day. >> i'm michael finney, ahead on 7 on your side, results from a pg&e investigation in a customer's smart meter complaint. >> also tonight, new weapons in the entertainment arsenal at apple, one that could change

two firefighters were injured in downtown san jose this morning. one firefighter received injuries when a ceiling collapsed another had a shoulder injury. residents got okay but three of them will have to find another place to live because of the damage. >> hurricane earl a category four now, just 24 hours from a mid-atlantic shore. evacuations are underway in north carolina where some had hoped to spend their last week of summer. here is way it looked like. several states are under states of emergency tonight. the government is moving in emergency medical teams and supplies to be ready.

>> on cape hatteras island, thousands of visitors from across the world says the hurricane is coming too close and they would have to leave. bill and his family were forced to abandon their vacation and drive back to maryland tonight. >> i rented a big house and they kicked us out this morning. >> a group of friends that planned to spend the week is now on the road to canada. >> we're heading back. >> 18 hours. >> yes, 18 hours, straight. >> one road off the island was a slow moving mess. storm is fearsome and going to skirt the eastern coastline. >> there have been times when people had sworn to us it's not going to touch us. within three hours it's right on top of us. >> fema is shipping supplies and 300,000 meals to north carolina and massachusetts. >> we could see watching and warnings up the east coast.

it's important for residents to have an evacuation plan ready to go if it's called for. >> fema says residents from north carolina to maine should look out for a moving wall of water that could do terrible things in low-lying areas. this is cape cod in the path of earl and home to half a million summer residents. >> meteorologist sandhya patel is here and watching earl. what is it doing right now? >> it's stronger than just a few hours ago, now packing winds of 140 miles an hour. >> that is strong. >> it has an eye on north carolina. let's get you outside. from the east bay hills camera, winds outside relatively light. in some areas it's just calm. and the view is sparkling, it's clear across the entire bay area there is no fog anywhere to be found here locally, but it could

be back before too long. the tropics, we do have not just hurricane earl but two more storms, tropical storm gascon is not a threat but fiona is expected to weaken but hurricane earl storm is moving to the north-northwest and this is extremely dangerous. look at the eye on this storm. it's a very large storm as you just heard. this one is going to work its way up along the eastern seaboard. it could be impacting the north carolina-virginia area as a category three storm by as early as tomorrow evening. hurricane warnings are up and the storm will continue to weaken as it skirts the eastern seaboard, new england could be impacted as well. if you have travel plans for the holiday weekend, stay tuned to hurricane earl. here is what it looked like in the bay area, a hot afternoon

inland with 97 degrees in concord. half moon bay, 75 degrees. so a nice warm one along the coast. 84 in san francisco. look at santa rosa, down sloping winds, 96 degrees there. san jose, 94. oakland got up to 90 degrees. certainly the warmup we expected and we're not done with the heat just yet. numbers is still warm, 70s and 80s across most of the bay area. not as warm at the coast. cooling trend heading into the weekend. watch what happens to the fog, it's going to stay off the coast and continue to skirt off our coastline. tomorrow morning, its clear mild start. temperatures in the 50s to the mid-60s. offshore flow, not quite as strong as it was today so slightly cooler at our coastline. moderate air quality across the bay area but poor for the santa clara bay has prompted another

spare the air for this your thursday. temperatures mid 90s for campbell and san jose. pacifica is coming down to 70 degrees tomorrow. so definitely a drop in the temperatures, downtown san francisco, 78 degrees, you get up into the north bay, low 90s around santa rosa and novato. 89 for union city. heading inland you get hotter. 100 in brentwood and 97 in concord and 86 degrees in santa cruz. seven-day forecast, mild at the beaches, hot inland, spare the air day tomorrow. cooler toward friday and much cooler for your sunday time period. breezy, as well. labor day looking quite comfortable. low 60s to mid-80s. the heat will let up as you head in the weekend. >> next this hours with earl, most critical to see how strong it's going to get?

>> absolutely. the critical part there is a storm that working its way toward the new england area and that will push an area out to the atlantic. that will veer this hurricane and will be critical how far it's going to make it. >> and dramatic scene for little leaguers. national wide moratorium on composite bats. and steve jobs and latest makeover for apple and riverdale high gets the first gay student. high gets the first gay student. reaction from i want you t >>

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they announced a moratorium on composite bats this was recently put in place by the national high school association. they made headlines when a high school pitcher from marin county suffered serious injuries after being hit by a line drive. he ended up in a coma. tests show that balls hit by composite bats travel faster than bats made of alloys or wood. apple unveiled updated ipods with a new tv device but the real news was to get consumers to spend money. david louie has the story. >> new is the key word as apple unveils fresh designs and features for the popular devices. >> because we have all new ipods all new designs for every single

model of ipods. >> apple ceo steve jobs says there is biggest changes in the music players. nano has a screen and no bigger than a man's wristwatch. it starts at 149. shuffle has some run en in size and praise. and the i-pod touch the top hand-held game device has time, ability to have a two way video call over wi-fi thanks to cameras in the front and back. >> they've really done a good job of filling out the spectrum for a broad range of consumers. that is what is going to be big for the holiday. they have things for a lot of different people. >> an update of itunes has a new social networking feature. >> the xoen company seize a future in tv and hasn't given up to find the right device.

>> a redesigned apple t device allows you to stream movies from nexflix. it will put apple in competition with google to manage media in the living room. >> google tv is more about bringing internet content into the living room whereas apple says make it simple. what consumers want movies, television shows, music and netflix, something straightforward. >> apple is trying to coach shoppers with tempting technology at lower prices. the better at this veronica and archie, most people know you are talking about. archie comic books is adding a new character. it promotes the hot new gay riverdale high, kevin keller but

he is gay. they say it's about veronica and adding somebody she can't get no matter how hard she tries. when we continue tonight, face off in the campaign for u.s. senate. we're live on the debate between democratic barbara boxer and her challenger carly fiorina. a couple's crusade to get rid of their smart meters. michael finney reports on the investigation they demanded and got. plus a marin county muslim who is demanding religious freedom at the federal prison he's in. then there is this, how skim pg on your sleep may

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good evening. we'll start the half-hour with some consumer news. results are in from an investigation into a local couple's concern about the smart meter installed at their home. as soon as that smart meter went in, they noticed bigger bills to power their home. they are now demanding that pg&e remove it. michael finney with what investigators found. >> this angry homeowner confronted a pg&e's spokesperson back in june. pg&e originally insists there is nothing wrong with it but he and his wife persisted and after we got involved the utility discovered two communication

issues with the meter and agreed to replace it. the change with the new meter in place was dramatic. >> i'm using 9.1 kilo was a day. >> that daily used installed on june 15th. it was half what it was each of the three months prior under the first smart meter. now, the pg&e insists the original smart meter was accurate. >> we did two tests of the first smart meter that we put on their house. to further resolve we took that smart meter and sent it to an independent lab. >> they found the original smart meter was working properly. >> he isn't buying it. he says he hasn't changed how much electricity he is using. >> i see with it here. >> the difference between the two meters is as much a mystery

to pg&e. >> we've been unable to explain why it increased with the first smart meter. >> what it does know that the original smart meter has passed all tests and so has the new one. >> to make sure pg&e installed an old analog meter and it has been comparing the results. >> for three months, we're just a little two months into it it shows that the meter is reading accurately, very similar results from the analog and the electric smart meter. >> pg&e has offered them a $1400 credit on his bill which it says brings his charges back down to where it has been historically. so far, he is refusing saying he just wants his smart meters removed the state's investigation into smart meters will be released tomorrow morning at 10:00 and with full coverage right here on "abc 7 news."

next we'll move to politics and tonight's televised debate between boxer and carly fiorina. stem cells, abortion, the economy and global warming, it touched on a lot of iashs and at times it got fairly combative. mark matthews is live. mark, it was a fascinating debate and pretty spirited. >> it was. it was as expected, very negative. both candidates going after each other's records. we saw protestors as we came in. early on there was a few but by the time they begin there was about hundred of them. most were in support of carly fiorina and shouting. we've got pictures to show you. a little bit heated out in front of st. mary's but a little heated inside the auditorium. here the case of back and forth between boxer and c fiancee fee. >> i'm ring for public office

because i, like so many of you, think our country is headed in the wrong direction. i think the american dream is too hard for too many people. >> who made her name as a ceo in hewlett-packard laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping their jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it, taking hundred million dollars. i don't think we need those values right now. >> it is all well and good for senator boxer to continue mischaracterize my record. i would remind that she voted for the wall street bailout. when you lead a business, with whether a nine person business or a 150,000 people, you sometimes to have make the agonizing choice, to lose some jobs to save more. >> she is running on her record. as a former ceo of hewlett-packard. i'm going to keep telling the truth about it.

>> jobs and the economy took center stage in tonight's debate. carly fiorina talking about tax cuts for jobs to create jobs, barbara boxer talking about government programs to help create jobs. now, they did talk about stem cells and abortion and disagreed on many topics. we'll have more coming up at 11:00. only stumble for either candidate when carly fiorina was asked her proposition on 23 and she admitted she has not taken a position on the proposition, that would repeal the greenhouse emissions. we'll have more about that in the spin room at 11:00. the before you go, this may be their only debate. they are often about who stands to lose the most. who can make the biggest

mistake. barbara boxer has the most to lose as the incumbent. >> carly fiorina was aggressive. she came out of the box attacking barbara boxer, she was clearly the most aggressive but boxer's side of it on she handled it fairly well. she did not get personal. she went after her record at hewlett-packard which she thinks will resonate with voters. >> it was an interesting the night. >> and perhaps not the last debate. both candidates said they would like to see more. who knows. police shot and killed a man who took three people hostage at discovery headquarters. they spent hours negotiating with the man identified as james lee after he burst into the building waving a handgun and wearing canisters strapped to his body. an explosive device detonated when they shot him.

all three hostages escaped safely as well as 1900 other people who working in the building and the children at the day-care center. >> white house held a working dinner featuring the leaders of israel and palestinian authorities. it came in advance of the peace talks between the two sides in two years. president obama hopes the talks can lead the way for the creation of a sovereign palestinian state. >> the united states will put our full weight behind this effort. we will be an active and sustained participant, but let me be very clear, ultimately the united states cannot impose a solution and we cannot want it more than the parties themselves. >> earlier today he condemned the shooting deaths yesterday of four israelis in the west bank by militant group hamas. he warranted hamas that acts of terror will not stop the u.s.

and allies in the pursuit of peace. >> two men arrested as possible terror experience, the yemeni men were arrested yesterday after fears of an airline attack. luggage of one man had a knife n and a box curter. the embassy says the u.s. had an ongoing misunderstanding of yemen. >> john walker lindh the american taliban is allowing are in freedom to practice his faith in prison. they have asked a judge to lift a rule that restricts them to praying once a day and alone in their cells. they claim it violates an islamic requirement that they pray five times a day, preferably a group. the government denies they are denying their rights.

he was convicted of amp enemy combatant and is now serving a 20-year prison term. >> more coming up. leash up your pets and keep your kids indoors, coyotes on the prowl and taking no prisoners in the south bay community. we'll have that story. plus a tale of two countries, smoking is bad for your health but it should can

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yesterday we told you about a mountain lion spotted and killed in berkeley. tonight in saratoga it's a different kind of animal causing problems, coyotes, a growing number of them. >> this is them and there are four pups. >> this nighttime video was taken by animal control in the back of a home last month. only 20 feet from the backdoor. coyote populations in santa clara county are exploding and so is calls for control especially in saratoga. >> we have a general area near prospect and saratoga where we've had a number of calls recently, probably where they have made some incursion north

of 85 freeway. they've been taking a lot of cats in that area. >> larry who lives in saratoga says they sent out warnings in his neighborhood. >> i have heard the neighbors say their cats are missing. >> this is where the highest concentrations of coyotes, san jose, los gatos and along the western foothills. >> once they move into these areas, they generally they stay until they have their pups and then the pups will actually get chased out by the parents when they are old enough and start colonize go new areas. >> most of food that is left out that runs across the creek. >> they love a creek side habitat, they have water and cover and whole open area to hunt. >> coyotes reomgs neighborhoods

during the day has a lot of people on edge. >> like a dog or a cat, toddler can be a target for a coyote. >> that is what is so dangerous and that is what vector control wants to get out to people in the high coyote populated neighborhoods. keep the pet food in the house, keep the pets in the house and report any sightings that you see. >> a continuous lack of sleep is not only exhausting, it can shorten your life. a new study found men who suffer from chronic insomnia are at increased risk of death compared to those that six or more hours a night. for the first time in ten years, greece is cracking down on people who smoke cigarettes. not only is there a complete ban

on smoking in public places but people that try to light up could be fined up to $650. businesses that allow smoking face penalties up to $12,000. then there is this. a totally different story in russia. the finance minister is urging citizens to smoke more because indulging in the habit will help the economy. he is asking them to drink more for the same reason. this unconventional advice as russia is about to raise taxes on alcohol and tobacco sales. >> just ahead here tonight. george clooney lurks in a shadowy world, a fame that may not be

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one new film opened today. the american, stars george clooney and not the action film that trailers may lead you to believe it is. don sanchez has his review on the aisle. >> it begins in 3-d. >> what is going on?

>> now, forget about what you've seen, we're never told who they are but somebody is after them. his boss.... >> is that guy a face you can trust? clooney's character lives in a shadowy world. the priest americans live for the present and try to escape history. he makes an assault rifle for a woman, how will she use it? maybe on him. but she is attracted the prostitute clara. she is played by the actress who spent considerable time out of costume. >> despite what you've seen, this is not an action filled

thriller, it moves slowly. lots of scenes and contemplation and minimal dialogue. at first i was put off by the film but i realized it goes back to the european films of the 60s and 70s. it's an art film. initial impression, what is this? but the image is sticking with me days after this. is not a film for everybody but i have to give it three-quarters of a bucket. we'll see you on the aisle. >> all right from the american to the meteorologist, let's go back to sandhya patel. >> if you like the he had, give it a full bucket for thursday, upper 90s inland and coastal areas, 60s and 70s, ukiah, hundred degrees. beach weather had santa cruz. here accu-weather seven-day forecast, heat inland, spare the

air for your thursday. temperatures cooling a little bit at the coast tomorrow. suethe dropoffs in the temperatures as we head into the holiday weekend, only mid-80s inland. breezy conditions for sunday and monday but comfortable. >> thanks very much. >> larry beil is here with all the sports. >> it's hot, hot, giants. one of those nights at the ballpark, balmy but this great story. making a major league debut. he doesn't arrive until the second inning, makes himself known baseo

at 11:00, help with an injured bay area officer needs now and what he needs later. the community surrounds a police officer shot in the line of duty. the latest on him. and feds take the case of a bay area woman who says she was fired for wearing a muslim headscarf. those stories coming up in one hour. larry is here with all the sports. couple great stories from the giants. >> this is delight and relief for giant fans. tim lincecum is back after losing five if row. he rediscovered the cy young magic. remember zz top? and this is one mistake,

fastball over the plate for carlos gonzalez. 1-0. terrific pitching dual. he was 17-6 and aubrey huff had ten strikeouts and game tied, jose ties it up 1-1. and here is the kid, in the pinch run, he is running, miguel air mails the throw and he races home. giants lead 2-1 and they are going crazy. kid has come through for them. up from double a. brian wilson, look at this play by freddy sanchez. talk about a basket catch. how does he make it over his head. game over, 2-1. lincecum the victory. giants are now just three back in the west. a's anderson, drops the toss

as barton is safe. 2-0 yankees and base hit. 4-0 new york. this is going to be a blowout. a's come back, and opposite field power. two-run jack in the fourth and cut the lead in half. a's down 4-3 and rivera strikes him out. yankees win 4-3 and go for a four-game sweep tomorrow. >> there a movement going on to get bill king into the baseball hall of fame. >> there is a high drive, hit deep by tejada, it is a home run! >> king broadcast a's games for 25 years, warriors and he tremendous. his fans have a chance to show their support by voting him into the hall of fame.

balloting will be done online. go to our website and you'll see the link to vote right there. >> 49ers training camp. vernon davis and crabtree had to be separated after they got into a a shouting match. davis never shy about sharing his thoughts. he apparently has not been happy with crabtree's work ethic. crabtree on that. mike says he appreciated his leadership but he went about it the wrong way. >> they were both wrong. we will not have that on this team, that is not allowed. we don't do that. we don't treat family and we don't disrespect digs respect each other. >> the architect of the most successful bay area sports franchise, greg jamerson is

giving up day to day operations. the sharks made it to the western conference finals last season. man who beat san jose joined them. he led chicago and cut loose by the blackhawk gets a one year with san jose for $2 million. tennis, scary scene at women's, victoria collapsed half an hour into the match. she was taken to a local hospital. he is a mild concussion she suffered in the warmups. she hit her head and didn't know how serious it was. in combination with that and the heat. >> marlins and washington, morgan was rushes the mound and

taken out by the first baseman. it was bad blood brewing after morgan injured the catcher last night. he takes a big swin and gets close lined from the side. not this one, fines and suspensions certain to follow. he is little guy and got rocked. he just missed it. that is pretty serious right there. >> something i see in the sports department. >> pretty much. >> that it for this edition. for larry and sandhya, i'm dan ashley, we appreciate your time and we hope to see you again in one hour over on abc7.